Hey You (311 song)
Encyclopedia
"Hey You" is a song written and recorded by American
rock
band 311
. It is the first single from the group's eleventh studio album, Uplifter
. The single was released through Volcano Entertainment on April 10, 2009. It was received generally well and became their eighth top-five hit on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
Bill Lamb at About.com
said that "Hey You" may not make it to mainstream pop
radio, but that's no reason for pop fans to miss out on 311's new immediately engaging single "Hey You". [...] Despite their general absence from mainstream pop circles, "Hey You" is likely to excite more than a few pop fans with its reggae
bounce and a gorgeous dream pop
break."
William Goldman at Spin Magazine praised the song, saying that "Omaha's
pseudo-Rasta rap-rockers
are still around—and better than ever!" Later in his review he says that 311 keeps their same unique sound, "But there's an important addition to the formula: Go-to rock/metal producer Bob Rock
(Metallica
, the Offspring
), who toughens the track's hardest rockin' sections while keeping its smooth, Caribbean
influences warm and mellow. Irie, indeed!"
for "Hey You" was directed by Joe Lynch
, and it premiered on May 7, 2009 at Yahoo Music. The video starts off with a man at an intersection in Los Angeles
holding a big sign that has "Hey You!" written on both sides. He begins flipping through his iPod
until he finds "Hey You". Once the song starts, he begins to dance around with the sign, doing things like flipping it over his back and spinning it. You see the band playing behind him for most of the song. Towards the end of the video, the dancing man notices three ninjas carrying signs that read "Feeling Down? 817-717-6311", "Unemployed", and "Got Debt?". He fights them off with his "Hey You" sign, and the video ends with everyone dancing in one scene, including the ninjas.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band 311
311 (band)
311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...
. It is the first single from the group's eleventh studio album, Uplifter
Uplifter
-Bonus tracks:-Album:-Singles:...
. The single was released through Volcano Entertainment on April 10, 2009. It was received generally well and became their eighth top-five hit on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
Release and reception
"Hey You" was released to radio stations on April 7, 2009 and was made available for digital download on April 10. The song was received pretty well, generating numerous favorable reviews.Bill Lamb at About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
said that "Hey You" may not make it to mainstream pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
radio, but that's no reason for pop fans to miss out on 311's new immediately engaging single "Hey You". [...] Despite their general absence from mainstream pop circles, "Hey You" is likely to excite more than a few pop fans with its reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
bounce and a gorgeous dream pop
Dream pop
Dream pop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s, when bands like The Passions, Dif Juz, Lowlife and A.R. Kane began fusing post-punk and ethereal experiments with bittersweet pop melodies into dreamy, sensual soundscapes. The term was almost...
break."
William Goldman at Spin Magazine praised the song, saying that "Omaha's
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
pseudo-Rasta rap-rockers
Rap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....
are still around—and better than ever!" Later in his review he says that 311 keeps their same unique sound, "But there's an important addition to the formula: Go-to rock/metal producer Bob Rock
Bob Rock
Robert Jens Rock, , is a Canadian musician, sound engineer, and record producer best known for producing bands such as Aerosmith, The Cult, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, 311, Metallica, Our Lady Peace, The Offspring and most recently Bush.-Payola$ and Rock and Hyde:Rock began his music career in Langford,...
(Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, the Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
), who toughens the track's hardest rockin' sections while keeping its smooth, Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
influences warm and mellow. Irie, indeed!"
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Hey You" was directed by Joe Lynch
Joe Lynch (director)
Joe Lynch is an American film director and music video director, cinematographer, and film actor.-Life and career:His directorial debut in feature film was 2007's Wrong Turn 2: Dead End, which starred Henry Rollins, Erica Leerhsen, and Texas Battle....
, and it premiered on May 7, 2009 at Yahoo Music. The video starts off with a man at an intersection in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
holding a big sign that has "Hey You!" written on both sides. He begins flipping through his iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
until he finds "Hey You". Once the song starts, he begins to dance around with the sign, doing things like flipping it over his back and spinning it. You see the band playing behind him for most of the song. Towards the end of the video, the dancing man notices three ninjas carrying signs that read "Feeling Down? 817-717-6311", "Unemployed", and "Got Debt?". He fights them off with his "Hey You" sign, and the video ends with everyone dancing in one scene, including the ninjas.
Chart performance
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 38 |